Scientists discover new life in the Dead Sea
Baku, October 10 (AZERTAC). A multidisciplinary team of scientists from Israel and Germany has discovered deep-sea springs, and new life in the Dead Sea.
Deep beneath the sea bed of a body of water long believed incapable of sustaining life, scientists have discovered new micro-organisms.
.Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev announced Wednesday they have found deep fresh water springs on the floor of the Dead Sea. These secret springs are apparently providing fresh water to the rapidly shrinking lake.
Meanwhile, a parallel study being conducted by German scientists has found new life forms in the mineral-laden waters.
The micro-organisms were discovered growing around the fissures in the sea floor.
The water level of the Dead Sea is dropping at an alarming rate - close to a meter a year, according to environmentalists.
The two research teams have been exploring groundwater springs that emanate from the sea floor in order to understand how the infusion of fresh water from the bottom of the sea impacts the unique ecosystem in the area.
The existence of the springs has been known for decades, as people have seen the ripples of water on the surface of the lake. However, scientists have discovered deep springs that were not visible from the shore.
The findings show that there are systems of complex springs, hundreds of meters long and up to 30 meters deep. The springs appear through craters as large as 15 meters in diameter and 20 meters deep, with steep, finely laminated walls where there are alternating layers of sediment and minerals.
While researchers have known for decades that the “Dead Sea” is a misnomer, the rich variety of life as evidenced in the vicinity of the springs was unexpected, said Dr. Danny Ionescu of the Microsensor Group, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany. Ionescu is leading the study of the micro-organisms.
While fish are not present, carpets of micro-organisms that cover large sea floor areas contain considerable richness of species, he said. The scientist has found some that were previously unknown in such highly saline environments, many unknown to science altogether.
The team is planning to return to the lake for more research in October.
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